Page 9 of Back to December
The conception of Gilded Vows is already questionable at best. When she moved us to Colorado twelve years ago, the company was already established and waiting. Holly Everheart is her biggest bride to date, so I understand the need for it to be picture-perfect. I just don’t understand the need for control. Her reputation is already stellar.
It feels like more than potential bruised pride if something goes wrong. Something worse.
“I can just get out right here,” I say, eager to walk off my nerves.
“You sure?” he asks.
“Definitely.” I pass him a wad of cash after the car comes to a stop, and let myself out the door, tugging my carry-on with me.
He takes off as soon as my door closes, and I let the full sensory experience of the town wash over me. That doesn’t help the nerves.
It’s like this town infuses cinnamon straight into the air. I know it’s a popular spice between fall and Christmas, but it makes me only think about Holden.
Focus Laila.
Find Ella, figure out what’s going on, and thenyou can surprise Holden.
Work, then play.
I can do this.
People bustle around me as they explore what downtown Enchanted Hollow offers them. No one is paying attention to the woman standing outside the bed-and-breakfast with a suitcase and anxiety flitting around in her chest.
Smiles paint their faces as they sip on their fall-themed goodness from Once Upon a Brew, popping in and out of shops or making wishes in the town wishing well. The heavenly scent of grilled food floats in the air from The Grotto, only a couple of blocks away overlooking the lake.
My first instinct is to reach into my pocket and film. The culture here is something to be studied—after being away so long, it’s nearly impossible to ignore the hum of magic in the air.
I glance in the opposite direction toward the path that I know would lead me to The Magic Crumb, to Holden. One touch, one kiss, that’s all it would take to soothe all of this. To have a clear mind again.
My phone dings, and I glance down at the succession of text messages from my mother as they pile in.
Mom
Make sure you get her back on track.
I will not tolerate a single misstep in this wedding.
It’s important that we cover as much of this as possible. It could be life-changing for the business.
Remind Ella what’s at stake.
And just like that, my brain snaps back to the first priority: finding Ella.
Checklist: find Ella → assess Holly → contain Mom → then Holden. Fear would answer Mom’s texts and love would run straight to him.
But duty wins. For now.
I’ve dug through every inch of this wedding, and Ella is going above and beyond for Holly. The woman literallyadoresmy sister, like most brides she interacts with. She’s amazing at what she does, and that’s not even me being biased. The feedback she gets after weddings agrees.
So what am I missing?Whyis my mother being so relentless about Ella getting it right?
I pull up Ella’s contact on my phone and send off a quick text, asking where she is.
She hasn’t answered me since I demanded she answer my video call after the bomb she dropped in our sister chat, and it’s making me antsy. She’s probably off having coffee, mooning over Luke—she may be in denial, but I called that setup years ago.
I’m glad she’s finally acting on it.
She deserves to be happy.
